Siddity In The City: January 2005

Monday, January 31, 2005

Oh, oh, oh my god, YES!

If my neighbors had an ear to my door, they'd think I was up to no good. Or, you know, a lot of good, depending on how you look at it. Check out the January 30 post. Shoes. And electronics. Together at last. Oh yes, and tomorrow is payday!

Friday, January 28, 2005

FR10

Baby on...shuffle, Baby, shuffle! 1. "Dreaming Tree," Dave Matthews Band, Before These Crowded Streets 2. "Praise You," Fatboy Slim, You've Come a Long Way, Baby 3. "Mulata Assanhada (Rica Amabis)" Rough Guide to Brazillian Electronica 4. "Rock the House," Gorillaz feat. Del (you know, tha funky homosapien), Gorillaz 5. "Troubles," Alicia Keys, Songs in A Minor 6. "Say My Name," Destiny's Child, The Writing's on the Wall 7. "Beloved Wife," Natalie Merchant, Tigerlily 8. "Sweet Soul Review," Pizzicato Five, Made in the USA 9. "Super Trooper," ABBA, ABBA Gold 10. "Set Adrift on Memory Bliss," PM Dawn, Red Hot + Dance Bonus: #13. "Is it a Crime," Sade, The Best Of #19. "Harder to Breath," Maroon 5, Songs About Jane (since I have to listen to this song/album every damn time I turn Baby on, it's too good.) Oh, and BondSt. were good. Real good. I might blog on it later, but mostly it was damn fine eatin' and might be a'warrin' in my heart with Blue Ribbon for favorite sushi joint. We'll see. I need to go back, order just what I want (the meetup group ordered an ass of food to share) and then decide.

Wednesday, January 26, 2005

Jayzus Christ.

Just watching SATC (Season 6, Pt. II, Disc 1) makes me want to put on lipgloss and heels.* Fucking media. *Just a leetle butterfield 8, and the pink ones.

Fatty-fatty two by four.

1. Sushi tomorrow night at BondSt. Come one, come all. But sign up here first, thanks. 2. Restaurant week! Look at the list of fine-dining establishments. Anybody up for a NYC-area blogger dinner next Thursday/Friday? (I have not backed out of the scavenger deal, really, I just haven't had the time to put anything good together.) 3. Actually, that's all. No, wait, that is not all. Um, is it wrong to want this guy so much I can feel it in my teeth? Think carefully. Here, look at this, this and this before you decide. Okay, so, is it wrong? Bleh. Wednesday.

Tuesday, January 25, 2005

Pardon my French.

I'm sorry if I offended Ugg/moccasin/mukluk fans with my anti-yak-ass rantage. I think Mars is in my relationship or communications house or something, because I have been one angry bitch lately. But, see, folks have been fucking with me for the past week, and once I get myself worked up into a good angry lather, it's hard to bring myself back down and, you know, chill the fuck out, but I have this sweet public face to maintain, so I end up talkin' shyat about something that really only pisses me off a little. So, you know, mea culpa and shit.

Godmotherfuckingdammit.

I don't care what Steve Madden or Glamour or Full Frontal Fashion are telling you. This shit is not cute. No. This is Manhattan, not Reykjavik. No. You are an accountant, not Pocahontas. No. I don't care how cold it gets at night. You live in a fifth floor walk-up in Chelsea, not a five person log hut in Oymyakon. No. You are 5'1", 155 lbs., not 5'11", 115 lbs. Sweetie, somebody like Andre Leon Talley may have sanctioned them, but consider your source: the man spends his days with 15-year-old, underfed high school dropouts. Plus, you know in zero-point-oh-five seconds, the fashion world is going to pretend this shit never happened. Of course, they'll all wait a few months to let you in on that little tidbit. And then one day you'll open your favorite magazine to find one of those cruel, "don't" pictures of you wearing mukluks and skinny jeans with exposed butt-sausage panty lines, and only a little black bar to shield you from total, public humiliation. I'm just sayin'. Please, let this shit die. Of course, this isn't really what's got my bikinis in a bunch, but I'm contractually bound not to discuss that.

Saturday, January 22, 2005

Does anybody else...

want to have Dave Chappelle's baby? Just curious.

Friday, January 21, 2005

Friday random 10

Feministe made me do it. And keep in mind I only have about a quarter of my CDs on my iPod, so this isn't entirely representative of my collection: 1. I Think I'm Paranoid, Garbage, Version 2.0 2. So Much to Say, Dave Matthews Band 3. Concrete, Sean Paul, Dutty Rock 4. She Bangs the Drums, Stone Roses, The Complete Stone Roses 5. Hey Mama (shush), BEP, Elephunk 6. Daffodil's Lament, The Cranberries, No Need To Argue 7. Mysterious Ways, U2, Achtung Baby 8. Love is Stronger than Pride, Sade, The Best Of 9. Mera Laung Gawacha, Ram & Bally Sagoo, The Rough Guide to Bhangra 10. I Wanna Be You, Pizzicato Five, Made in the USA Also, an unfortunate observation: Getting out of the shower, I caught a glimpse of my nekkid bum in the bathroom mirror. It's almost exactly the color of a ripe Asian pear, greenish tint, speckles and all. WTF? Can that be, you know, corrected? How did I get freckles on my ass? That's not right. And this is good. But don't get it from those guys. I only paid, like $0.50 a can for mine. They're charging almost a buck a can. Thievers.

Thursday, January 20, 2005

On the road Part I: The Chilly Chizzle.

chizzle Originally uploaded by Siddity.

I finally have to break down and admit there will be no good time to write about my vacation, I'll never be in the right mood, and I am totally lacking in literary inspiration regarding the best way to broach the subject. So here, y'alls, I'll just jump right in. First stop: the Chilly Chizzle (AKA Chester, PA, AKA, actually, stop #2 on my travelfest, but stop #1 was just my parent's house and happened before my vacation officially started, so it doesn't really count. Ahem.) Ah, Chester. As you can see from the photo, not the cheeriest vacation spot. In fact, not much of a "vacation" spot at all, in the traditional sense. No relaxation (though, as I stepped off the train at the Highland Ave. SEPTA stop and hurried down the rickety, rusty-ass steps to the street, I noticed an unmarked po-po vehicle sitting a dozen or so yards away in the vacant lot that bordered the tracks, and that helped me relax a bit, since, you know, they might get a shot off at an assailant and whatnot if anything went down, and I'd probably only be mugged. At least, I think it was an unmarked po-po. Maybe it was just the local rock-slinger. Who knows.). Not, you know, exciting (except in that "will my family get the hell to the train tracks to pick me up before or after I am abducted and turned out and forced to turn tricks at the 'hotel' above Vesuvio's Pizza restaurant" kind of way). Not much in the way of sightseeing (except in that "damn, didn't that burnt-out shell used to be so-and-so's grandmama's house?" kind of way). Here's what Chester does have: 1. My family. And Goddamn do I love those folks. My maternal family, anyway--aunts and uncles (I have eight. Yes, y'all. Eight.), cousins (I ain't even trying to count), and my Grandma and Pop. Wooo lord, do I love my grands. Raised 9 kids, married 50+ years, live in the house my Pop bought and built upon (he had to add some things, 9 kids is nothing to sneeze at). I LOVE my family. I LOVE my grandparents. I'm starting to think about hurrying up to get married, 'cause I think I want my Pop to walk me down the aisle, and he's already in his 80s. Then again, his mom was almost 103 when she passed, so maybe I don't need to hurry, LOL. God, I hope not. I need a minute.... 2. Proximity to tax free shopping in Delaware. I think we all know how I feel about that little perk. Non-NYC pricing? Non-NYC discount pricing? And tax free? Yeah. I always come back with extra bags. My haul this trip: A brooch sold in NYC for $20 discounted, I got for $10; A pair of perfect-fitting bootcut Levi's, $12.99; the cah-utest (stolen from Mary) little black and pink lace and ribbon cami/teddy sets for $12.99; and some other thangs.

3. Delaware slots. I won $375! Bwahaha! Last time I think I won a few hundred, too, but maybe only $300 or so. But hey, cash is cash. 4. TWO J'S! See, the thing about Chester is, they have the best cheese steaks at this place called Two J's. Like, the BEST. Like, fuck Pat's, or wherever the hell people tell you to go for a cheesesteak in Philly. Two J's. 'Member what I said about meat and holidays? Yeah, well, it'd been five years since I had one of those mugs, and it was kinda still Christmas, or the day or two after, at least, so you know I had one (okay, two) Two J's steaks (american cheese, fried onions, sweet and hot peppers, mayo, ketchup, thanks) while I was there. And I'm not ashamed to admit it, dammit. Look, here's a picture below. You'd have one, too. I was in town for 48 hours, or less, considering how much time I spent hopping from train to train on NY/NJ/PA mass transit. I still had a great time. Wish I had planned my time better so I could have been there longer. But, too soon, my time was up and I had to get back to New Yawk to catch my flight to Michigan, Siddity vacation stop #2.5....

Cheese steak!

Cheese steak!
Originally uploaded by Siddity.

Thou dost tempt me, cheesesteak. La, sir, I have succumb!

Damn good, too.

Two J's, home of the illest cheesesteaks.

two jays Originally uploaded by Siddity.

Bagpipist (?) dropping it like it's hot on the bar at the London Grill.

bagpiper
Originally uploaded by Siddity.

New Year's Shoes

bongoflats
Originally uploaded by Siddity.

Worn at the hottest of Michigan hot spots, O'Duffy's.

On the road, Part II: Relaxin' in the 'Zoo.

lakeview Originally uploaded by Siddity.

I'm a city gal, at heart. At least, that's what I've always believed. I love London, Paris, Boston, New York. I've always thought I'd settle someplace like that--crowded, lively, open all night, diverse. A place that teems with life, that you can feel breathing, a place with a pulse. Lately, though, I'm starting to think, six months into my stay in NYC, that it's not so much breath and pulse as wheeze and arrhythmia. Sigh. This town may be too much for me. Even so, I still believed myself a city gal, perhaps just meant for a different city. London's quite nice. And I've yet to see Toronto or Montreal, Glasgow or Edinburgh, Chicago, New Orleans, San Fran.... One, I reasoned, was bound to be my spiritual home. In fact, I figured I'd make it out to Chi-town on this trip, size it up, weigh it against the places I've been. It would be the highlight of my little "Midwestern Adventure." I thought. And then I met the 'Zoo. Kalamazoo. Ever been to Kalamazoo? The Kalamazoo "international" airport is about the size of a large house, and I deplaned using those little wheely stairs (Stairs! That was sooooo cool, even if the fact that the plane was so small I used a glorified step-stool to get off it was not). Population-wise, it's tiny, you need a car to get damn near a-ny-where, and it's in BFMI. What's for a city girl to like? How about this here view? This is my friend's (let's call her The Divine Ms. M, TDMM) view. Every morning, she gets up, and can look out across the lake, suit up, go for a run. For the most part, without fear of homicidal maniacs. And then come home, to this lovely, tranquil, less-than-the-cost-of-a-NYC studio/condo, three-bedroom home-y home with the fabulous lake view. But I'm getting ahead of myself. I think I developed a little crush on the 'Zoo--and, to be fair, it's neighbor, Portage, where Ms. M. lives--long before I made it to her wonderful house. She knows me so well--good friends, good food, good drink, and I'm sold--and when she picked me up from the airport, she took me straight out for a late lunch and drinks with her mom ('Twas her mom's birthday) at the LoDo Co. restaurant (153 W Centre Ave., in Portage). The LoDo Co. had really good food--like the crabmeat-and-artichoke dip appetizer we got to share, or the black bean burger I hoarded all to myself--poured a perfect pint of Guinnie, and, get this: after two rounds of drinks for three, an appetizer, and an entree, do you know what it cost me (I bought; it was the least I could do for crashing her mom's birthday)? Forty damn dollars. Fo'ty! Hot damn! I was smitten. I think the whole trip was an organized seduction. You know where TDMM took me next? The Meijer. The bleeding Meijer. Do you know what the Meijer is? It's what would happen if Target, Lowe's, Rainbow (or whatever cheap-o trend monkey fashion store you've got), your local supermarket chain, pharmacy, and a liquor store all got together and had a key party--which resulted in a couple of illegitimate children, who then went on to have an an illegitmate child of their own. Yeah, that's the Meijer. Un-be-feckin'-lievable. I went for a toothbrush, soap, lotion, contact solution--travel toiletries. Y'all, we rolled out with all of that, some new glassware and crockery, hardware for patching up her door, snacks, and a bottle of Bailey's, for like, $50 or something. Love, love, love. I got love for the Meijer (I got so much love for the Meijer, I got half of my NYE wardrobe there--a cute billowy black halter, a cropped raspberry corduroy jacket and matching fedora--for about $30, for real). I was in town maybe five days. I think we went to the Meijer, at my behest, almost every damn day. Did I mention that bitch is open 24 hours? Well, it is. She also took me to the nearest TJ Maxx and Marshall's, where I got the rest of my NYE getup--some lovely embroidered and sequinned ballet flats (besides the fact that they're adorable, TDMM noted, astutely, that I have nothing in my closet but flashy sneakers and heels, and nothing in between. Well, now I do.) and a super-cute slouchy leather Petusco hobo bag on clearance for $43. Amazing. Thing is, ladies in the heartland aren't working with big-city budgets, so when the fancy labels come to their local discount shop, it's still often too much money--and thus, still there for the likes of yours truly. (I overheard this conversation, about a beautiful buff-colored leather bag: "Isn't this a nice bag? But it's too much, it's $63." Bwahahaha! If only the NYC fashionistas knew, there'd be a stampede, do you hear me? I got my round-trip ticket for less than $250. For some women, that's lunch. But I guess, for those women, the discounts don't matter.) The shopping was good. And despite the fact that I'd long since convinced myself there was nothing of culinary merit to be found in "the heartland," I ate well. The Shawarma King (1441 S Drake Rd., Kalamazoo) serves the best hummus I've ever had. The best. Seriously. And the service was great, the portions huge (we had leftovers), all on the crazy cheap. I got lentil soup, spinach pie, and the veg platter (hummus, baba, syrian salad, stuffed grape leaves, falafel, pita) for about $10. And O'Duffy's. Oh, oh, oh, O'Duffy's. God, I love Irish pubs. I loved O'Duffy's. I want it to be my local, 'cept it's in Michigan. This is where I was introduced to Lambic, and black razzies. Where I again bought two rounds and dinner for under $40. Where I had the funniest rooftop NYE spumante toast with one of my best friends, TDMM, and a guy who clearly wanted to work the comic circuit and didn't make it--or tried, and failed--watching fireworks in the cold--did I mention the bit about being on a rooftop, in the cold drinking spumante in Michigan?--and had one of the most entertaining NYEs in memory. And I dug the London Grill, in Kalamazoo, our first NYE stop, where, at the end of a set, the bagpipe player got up on the bar and dropped it like it was hot. Well, sort of. He was on the bar, and at some point crouched on it while playing. No booty-shake involved, or anything. Er, forget I mentioned bagpipes and booty-shake in the same post, please. Excellent pub, great stateside fish and chips, with HP sauce (Ah, HP sauce. Tha's fookin' delish, man ;-}. Oh, watch Intermission. Which we did, while I was there, lol.) Yes, 'twas good, the London Grill. Even hanging out at the frigging Panera for three hours was fun. I just had such a good time. In this little place, with its open spaces and big, cheap houses with room for a pup and a kid or three, and chilly winds and megastores and funny bars and funnier patrons and. And, and, and. And that's just the superficial. I think what really made me fall in love with the place was the presence of a good friend. It really is who you're with that matters, and TDMM is just fab-a-licious. A really great friend. And I think I've missed that in NYC, my friends, who are just all over the feckin' place. Friends who I love and who are missed and who aren't in New York, so that New York doesn't feel like home and anywhere they are, does. Which is why I was probably so bloody maudlin when I came back, why I couldn't write about how much I enjoyed my time away for so long, and why I have to force it out, awkwardly, now. Eh. Enough with the--what do you call them?--emotions. Either way, I did really like Michigan, the 'Zoo, and the much more relaxed pace of life there, where not every exchange seems laced with ambition or commerce, like NYC. Enough that I may be back to scout out Ph.D. writing programs in the nearish future. I have to say, this trip was eye-opening, in many ways. Perhaps life in the 'burbs could be on the horizon for this miss. A lakehouse, a happy spotty-dog and fatty cat, a typewriter (or laptop, you know, whatever), brilliant kids and a genius hubster... Yeah, I can see that. Maybe. (I never made it to Chicago, well, except for a stop and connection at O'Hare. Didn't even miss it...but I'll get there someday soon...)

Friday, January 14, 2005

This is a sad world.

If you scroll all the way down to the bottom of this page for the new iPod Shuffle, you'll find the following disclaimers: Music capacity is based on 4 minutes per song and 128Kbps AAC encoding. Do not eat iPod shuffle. Rechargeable batteries have a limited number of charge cycles and may eventually need to be replaced. Battery life and number of charge cycles vary by use and settings. See www.apple.com/batteries for more information. Some computers require either the optional iPod shuffle Dock or a USB cable extender (sold separately). Four minutes per song, check....inedible, check...limited charge cycles, check...dock sold sep--wait one got-danged minute. Did they really feel the need to point out that this fucker is not to be eaten? I mean, yes, it's smaller than a pack of gum, but what assmonkey would look at that comparison and think the thing was chewable?

Thursday, January 13, 2005

I know y'all don't care, but I need to keep my weekly post average up.

I stole this from X. I can't be thinking up stuff to write all the time. I just end up posting crappy pictures of my tartily-shod feet. 1. What movie can you watch over and over again? The Mummy (shush), The Goonies, Monsoon Wedding, Witches of Eastwick, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, and Ace Ventura, Pet Detective, among others. 2. What is your favorite drink? At the moment? Not to sound like an alkie or anything, but this needs to be broken down by category. Beer: Bass is my standby ale, Guinness the stout. Guinnie/Bass black-and-tans are cool, as is a black raspberry (Guinness and Lambic). Cocktail: Tanqueray dirty martini, three olives, like the one I had at Bouley last week. I'm still testing the wine waters, but I'm fond of dessert-y wines like Reisling and Muscatel. I've tended bar (catering) in the past and I'm a foodie. I buy imported butter. You think I'm having some generic-ass drinks? 3. If you could adopt a wild animal what would it be? Ah. Pygmy Marmoset. Hands down. Oh god, they are the cutest things, like living Monchichis. 4. If you could have any car in the world what would it be? Aston Martin V12 Vanquish S. I'm built for comfort. My car can be built for speed, thanks. 5. If you were going to a remote place and could only take one cd, what cd would you take? Screw the CD. I'm taking Baby. 6. Would you rather miss the beginning or end of a movie? I won't see a movie if I've missed the first few minutes; I'd sooner wait for the next showing. The previews are half the fun. 7. Which is worse: being in a place that is too loud or too quiet? Loud 8. Which is worse. . . getting a flat tire or a speeding ticket? Flat. I seem to have a bit of luck when it comes to speed. I used to do 95mph down I-95 on the regular, and the only time in my life I've ever been pulled over was when I had a tail light out on a city road. Go figure. 9. Would you rather change your past or know your future? Past. Knowing my future would kill all the fun. 10. What celebrity do you lust over? I dunno, I appreciate different things about different kinds of guys. The only thing I'm not partial to is blondeness. I guess I have a type. This guy. This guy. Cube (Shut. Up.) The reconstituted Mummy in the Mummy.The Rock. Vin Diesel.*ducks Will's shoe* What? I didn't say I wanted to watch him act out scenes from Hamlet. Listen, the hottest guy I've ever seen wasn't famous. He was a student in a population class I took, and he was bald, brown, beautiful, and had a perfect, genuine, ten-billion watt smile. 11. Would you rather be a trashman or a proctologist? No brainer, proctologist. 12. What kind of perfume do you wear? I change every few months. My dresser holds Chanel Chance, Marc Jacobs, some Demeter scents, an ooooold bottle of Angel. But Gucci Rush might be the only bottle I've ever finished. And oh! I got my hands on a Shiseido Feminite du Bois pen once, and that stuff is very, er, hm, lets say, mood-setting, very musky. It's been discontinued, though, dammit. I love perfume. Funny thing is, I almost never wear it. I usually smell like whatever soap/lotion combo I'm working with at the time. 13. Would you rather speak with God for a minute or add a year to your life? X's answer was perfect. I would rather have God speak BACK for a minute. Or just hear a snippet of God's thoughts, without going mad. Of course, there are those who would argue that, you know, we ARE a snippet of God's thought, as is everything around us, we just aren't properly listening.... 14. Would you rather end hunger or hatred? Stupidity. Oh wait, that wasn't an option. Hatred. 15. Do you tend to date people younger than you or older than you? I prefer older, but that wasn't the question, so in truth, they tend to be younger. I have no idea why. 16. How do you feel about tattoos? I have one, relatively discreetly located, and frankly think the right kind of tattoo, on the right person and in the right place, is crazy sexy. But it's tricky. The wrong kind of tattoo (your street name, for instance, done, say, in prison with a piece of stone chipped from your cell wall and some cigarette ash) however, is a deal-breaker. 17. What talent do you wish you possessed? Concert-quality musicianship. Hell, any musical talent at all. But I definitely lean more toward wishing for instrumental talent over vocal talent. There is something very moving and beautiful about a musician so good she's seemingly possessed by her instrument. Oh wait, remember that TV show where these three people--an old guy, a young guy, and a hot chick--ran an antique shop and had to hunt down possessed antiques? Yeah, well, not like that. 18. Are you generally an optimist, pessimist or a realist? Realist with paranoid tendencies. 19. If you were given $50,000 to throw a party for someone . . . who would it be and what kind of party would you throw? My mom, and it would be a very small party at home, since I would have used the bulk of the money to pay down the loans she took out to put us both through college. We graduated the same year! Woohoo, mom! She's the best. 20. If you were a Peanuts character which character would you be? The little piano player, or Snoopy. 21. Do you get heartburn and if so how do you cure it? Almost never. I have a stomach of iron, lol. On the rare occasion I do, I take something coating, like pepto. Alka-Seltzer makes me upchuck. 22. How do you like your cookies. . .crunchy or chewy? Chewy. With milk. 23. What have been your highpoints and low points of 2004? High: Getting a J-O-B and moving to N-Y-C Low: Um.... Getting a bad haircut at a small salon over the summer? The lady gave me a crazy-ass uneven trim. 24. What is the best gift you received this Christmas? Time with the family. 25. What is your most memorable vacation? First trip to the UK. It wasn't all good, but man, was it memorable. Holy crap. And to think, even with the craziness, I went back. The second trip was much better. 26. Do you kiss on the first date? I can't remember, dammit. Let me think back....oh yes, I may have done that, LOL. 27. Name five of your favorite junk foods. Brownies, french fries, chocolate croissants, fish & chips, and Bertucci's pizza. 28. Describe your dream wedding. I don't trip or puke. I'm assuming that all the elements of the perfect marriage are in place, of course--that the groom is my best friend ever, and has lots of, er, stamina. And that our families are there, and happy. I just haven't given this much thought. 29. What are your favorite pizza toppings? Fresh mozzarella, roasted garlic cloves, carmelized onions, sun-dried tomatoes, mushrooms, extra sauce. 30. What’s your favoite cereal? Special K with Red Berries (Psyche. It's Fruity Pebbles. I love the hell out of that cereal. Which is why I never buy it.) 31. Who did you last have an argument with? My dabgum keys, because they hide from me every morning. 32. What is your weapon of choice? Ninja stars! Just kidding. Really it's the longbow. Ha! Tricked you again! A recurve bow. No, I mean it this time. It's the only one I kinda know how to use. ...Now, a boy who can draw a longbow is high on the hotness scale, 'cause the physics of a strung longbow make it hella hard to draw (did I just write "hella" in all seriousness?), and drawing one repeatedly gives you these really sexy, defined forearms, and that's hot as fuck. There was this one guy on my archery team in college--stocky and balding, but when he rolled up his sleeves and drew his longbow (his hand-carved, self-made longbow!) I'd get this really funny feeling in my... *snaps to, wipes drool from chin* Ahem. Sorry. Onward. 33. Do you hold grudges or do you let things go easily? I make myself think I've let things go, and the other person thinks I have, too, until one day, they use the last of the toilet paper or something, and I'm just, like, "I can't do this anymore!" Then I move to a new state. I know, I have a problem. I'm working on it. 34. What is one thing you need to do but don’t? Go to bed before 2 am; work out every day; save more; write more; eat like my body was a tiny, well-maintained temple preparing to house a succession of demanding deities (that would be, have kids one day). Oh, did it say one thing? Oops. 35. What size is your bed? Double/Full. 36. What do you wear to bed? Tank top, knickers 37. Is your belly button an innie or outtie? Innie 38. Do you prefer white or wheat bread? Sliced? Wheat. But fresh baked? French, or summer-veg focaccia. With a nice soft cheese and a dry white wine.

Wednesday, January 12, 2005

Three really good reasons to love DSW

Chinese Laundry heels Originally uploaded by Siddity.

I stopped by the Atlantic Ave. DSW on my way to Target today. I ended up with three pairs of heels for $40 with tax. I love DSW. I spotted these little hotbox Chinese Laundry heels at DSW in August or September, but then they were $50. They ain't $50 no more. Now they're $9.98. Are they not the punkiest little ho' shoes ever? These are probably now the naughtiest shoes I own. I love 'em. They had them in red, too, but what am I going to do with red patent leather hooker heels? I couldn't wear them out. Then again, I probably can't wear these out. They're a bit high and spikey for my liking. But for $10? Hell, I don't have to leave the house. These bitches are my new house slippers. The pink CL shoes were just adorable. I really love the rounded toes and rhinestone buckles. I'd have taken better photos, but my phone battery was dying and I kept getting crappy blurred images. The boots were a super steal. I still can't believe what I paid for those. BCBG leather boots? $16? They cray-ji cheap.

Chinese Laundry pink satin heels

Chinese Laundry pink satin heels Originally uploaded by Siddity.

These make me feel like a princess. Or, given the Clorox wipes in the background, maybe Cinderella. $11.98.

I don't know why it's showing up upside down. It looks fine on flickr.

BCBG Girls brown leather boots

BCBG Girls brown leather boots
Originally uploaded by Siddity.

These started out at $80. I got 'em for $15.98

Tuesday, January 11, 2005

The ass end of a shit stick.

Time for a little social experiment. After extensive consultation with my favorite blogosphere MENSA member, it has been concluded that the above phrase, which I made up yesterday, should immediately be put into heavy rotation. The term should be used to express anything from general malaise to extreme feelings of narsty, shitty, pissy, fucked-upedness. An example of correct usage: Yesterday, via email, I noted that, in light of her post for the day, X must feel like she was at "the ass end of a shit stick." If that doesn't clarify it any, well, too bad. Use it anyway. The social experiment bit: It's not that great a phrase, but I would like to see if/how quickly one can get some made-up isht into common parlance. In this case, the phrase may be so assed up it never actually enters common parlance, but still. We'll see how it spreads via daily Google searches. Links and kudos to anyone who can work it into their blog. In fact, why not start a friendly competition for "Best 'I just made this up' fucked-up phrase," determined by creativity, versatility, and frequency of use on the 'net. I'll keep a running tab of inventors, phrases invented and Google results per day. C'mon, folks. Each one teach one. Oh, shush. I'm bored.

Monday, January 10, 2005

Oh, snap.

When's the last time you heard that, huh? Anyway, fellow Simmers, follow the link to an article on Sims2 viruses that allow disgraceful, immoral things like multiple lovers and child neglect. I'm especially excit--er, disgusted--by the teen pregnancy hack. Link via Around the Way Girl.

Sunday, January 09, 2005

If only Rustoleum came with a spelling checker.

mistery loves company Originally uploaded by Siddity.

I just spotted this while I was out on an errand and decided I'd share. I must have passed it a dozen times without reading it before tonight, which is crazy, because it's about four feet wide and at eye level. Anyway, do you think the tagger realized he'd totally fucked up? Maybe he meant to be all philosophical about it, and actually meant "mistery," as in, loosely, life is a directionless existence marred by the mists of fate. Or somesuch. Huh. Baby update: 400+ songs stored. Only 1.5 GB used. Bwahahahaha! I love it! Also, I am really beginning to realize how much of my intellectual and mnemonic potential is devoted to useless things like song lyrics. Crikey. Travel post ETA Wednesday, when I am finally off this bloody sun-up-to-sun-down working purgatory, or, when I've managed to get more than 6 hours of sleep at a time again.

Thursday, January 06, 2005

Bouley.

Last night, dinner at Bouley (120 W Broadway, at W Broadway and Reade; 1 or 9 to Chambers). Now before you go pointing out that dinner at Bouley would seem to be a violation of my only resolution this year (greater efficiency--of speech, cash, time, and self-care), I'd like to point out two things: 1. I didn't tell you about that resolution until just now and 2. I wasn't paying. So there. Now that that's settled, on to the comestibles. We (work folks) chose the tasting menu (which, if you're interested, rings in at about $75/person at dinner, more if you have the Kobe beef or choose wine pairings, and covers, if I recall, five courses), and I was duly impressed. The starter--cucumber, cured salmon and trout roe in a yogurt foam, served in a tiny aperitif glass--was quite good. Not spectacular, but a pleasant start. I went on to have the sashimi quality tuna with shaved fennel, sea bass with porcini and hon shimeji mushrooms, lobster and valrhona chocolate souffle. The tuna really was fantastic, but then again, I'm a big fan of the raw fish. The sea bass and lobster, however...let's see, how to describe...oh, yes, I have it: the chef can do things with porcini mushrooms that could make the devil blush. Really. The sea bass was braised and buttery and the lobster was perfect and buttery and both were similarly, wonderfully tarted up with butter and mushrooms and herbs and asparagus (which happens to be my favorite veg, and until dinner at Bouley, I didn't believe anyone could prepare it as well as I could, let alone better.) In fact, come to think of it, I think the bass and lobster were identically dressed--the lobster wasn't as listed in the online menu. No matter. The souffle was quite nice, served with three sorbets on the side, which, if I'm not mistaken, were a chocolate, a nut-flavored (maybe hazelnut) and, frankly, I can't recall the other, because by the final course I had worked my way through two glasses of Reisling and a martini the size of my jumbo-sized head. In all, most of my cohorts enjoyed everything served, though there did seem to be some disagreement over the passion fruit, mint and coconut foam dish (some thought it was an unpleasant combination). Upon our departure, we were each sent off with a yummy little lavender-lemon pound cake, which, topped with vanilla-cream yogurt and blackberries, made my early morning breakfast much yummier for me. (For those interested in the decor, one of my coworkers pointed out, aptly, that it reminded her of Hobbiton. There are those who would find that quite appealing, in a sort of warm, homey, non-threatening kind of way.) Generally, quite good all around. Not as spectacular as I'd expected from one of the top rated restaurants in town, in this town, but still wonderful. Actually, reflecting on it now, it was pretty spectacular.... *wanders off for another slice of poundcake with berries*

Wednesday, January 05, 2005

To lighten a heavy heart...

...exercise the wallet. I dropped $700 in about 15 minutes yesterday. Purchase #1 was, of course, Baby. Baby and all her accessories, like these cute socks, and an extended Applecare warranty. I love her so. Sometimes, we play games, like "Music Quiz," where I try to guess which of my 300 songs she's playing in under 2 seconds. That's so much fun. We're totally BFF already. Purchase #2, on the other hand, was completely ridiculous and unnecessary. Since I was in the area, I decided to swing by the Puma Store (521 Broadway; N, R, or W to Prince) on my way home. Hell, who am I kidding? I had decided to swing by the Puma Store before I even got off the downtown R. Anyway, I saw lots of lovely permutations of the comfy shoegasms I so love. When I checked the prices, though, I noticed everything was about $5 more than at the Foot Locker next door, so I skipped over there instead, and picked up two more pairs (thank you, X!) of Speed Cats--one blue and white pair, identical to the ones I have already, as a backup, and these, as an early Valentine's Day gift to myself. Even though I was wearing a pair of the damned shoes, knew what size and color I needed, and had my bank card at the ready to ring those bitches up--$150!--it still took longer to get the shoes than the iPod, because one of the bestriped boys at the Foot Locker felt he just had to try to upsell with some damned stupid heel inserts, waterproofer and cleaner. (Brotherman, I gots that all covered.) Like the $150 wasn't enough. WTF? Sigh. I could probably have avoided the whole sad rap if I had just bought them at the Puma Store. Only an arsetard like me would drop $500+ on a walkman and walkman socks (I wouldn't pay $29 for socks for myself for fuck's sake), and then quibble over $5 extra for the shoes. I may bitch about being back at work, but damn, it does have it's perks. Hot damn, payday! There was a time--grad school, I believe it was called--when what I spent yesterday was my whole month's rent, and I would not have even dreamed of dropping that kind of cash in a week, let alone an hour. Mwahahaha! Which is not to say I spend like this all the time. I don't. (Note to self: stay the hell out of SoHo. Between Puma, Apple and Blue Ribbon, I might end up a liar.) But it's nice to be able to do it now and then without breaking out into a cold sweat or wondering how I'll eat for the rest of the year. Something to think long and hard about before I consider going back to school for a Ph.D. But that's another post.

Welcome the newest, littlest member of the Siddity family!

iPod baby Originally uploaded by Siddity.

I brought her home today--6.2 oz., 4.1 x 2.4 x 0.69 inches, and 40 GB of pure potential. Isn't she gorgeous?!?! I think I shall call her, well, Sid. (Hell, it ain't my name, really, so it isn't entirely vanity. Much.) That, or Sophie. Or Lola. Or maybe just Baby. Yes. Baby. I went to the Apple Store in SoHo to get her today. I was going to order one online and have it engraved, but that would have taken 3 days, and since one of my coworkers is going on vacation and I will be tied to my job for at least 10 hours a day for the next six days straight, I decided to just go pick one up. Now I can spend my down time organizing my muzak. She's already got nearly 300 songs on her, and there's hardly a dent in her capacity. Oh god, I think I'm in love! I'm having a shower for her. Feel free to send us iTunes gift certificates via email (we might like to drop it like it's hot, and wouldn't you like to be a part of that? No? Oh well. Probably for the best.), LOL. I'm going to just have her engraved at a jeweler's, but I can't decide on a quote. Here are my options: Wisdom begins in wonder.--Socrates Perplexity is the beginning of knowledge.--Gibran; but it's the same sentiment as the quote above, except with bigger words. Our lives teach us who we are.--Rushdie A prayer for the wild at heart, kept in cages.--Tennessee Williams I'm an idealist. I don't know where I'm going, but I'm on my way.--Carl Sandburg Bitches, come!--Goon from xXx (My name here), Cheeky Tart. I'm leaning toward the Socrates quote. Votes? Alternative suggestions? Squeak! Squeal! Whoop! Wheeeeeeeeeeeee! iPod? MYPod! Mwahahaha! I've already gotten her a cute sock set, but I think I'm going to get some tattoos for her at HP.com, too. Gah, my accessories can have accessories. How very American of me.

Monday, January 03, 2005

And back again.

I'm back. Sigh. There is much to write about, but I am tired, and kind of down about being back, so I'm not in the right mood. Ever go away for just a few days and in a Lambic-induced flash of clarity realize everything that's wrong with your life? Bleh. I'll just lurk around all your blogs and ease into the year and back into The City. Once I feel semi-comfortable here again, and not all maudlin and wistful for Michigan, of all places, I'll do a rambling, silly post about my vacation adventures. Happy New Year, y'alls! Here's hoping that this and every subsequent year is, for each of you, better than the last. :D P.S. Do this. Please.

Siddity In The City